EXCLUSIVE: Fewer academy trusts fail to meet December deadline

The number of academy trust failing to meet the deadline for submitting their accounts to the Department for Education continues to fall, a freedom of information response reveals.61 academies failed to send in their financial statements by 31 December, 32 fewer than last year.

Many of these trusts are now defunct and in the process of being wound up.They include Floreat Education Academies Trust, the notorious Bright Tribe and its connected trust Adventure Learning, and the infamous SchoolsCompany Trust.

Others have been subject to Financial Notices to Improve.These include:

Paxton Academy Ltd: the FNtI, issued July 2019, was closed when the Paxton Sports and Science Academy transferred to Wandle Trust.The free school, dubbed the portakabin school, has recently been downgraded from requires improvement to inadequate.

Hadlow Rural Community School Limited: its FNti, issued in August 2014, included concerns about failure to submit accounts in time.It was lifted in February 2015 but the trust has failed to send its audited accounts by the deadline again.

Four UTCs appear in the list:

Buckinghamshire UTC: issued with an FNtI in May 2016.The FNtI was lifted in July 2017.

Medway UTC: closed after inadequate judgement.Reopened as Waterfront UTC in April 2019 with The Howard Academy Trust.

Derby Manufacturing UTC: closed after being found inadequate.Reopened as UTC Derby Pride Park on 1 December 2019 with the Sheffield UTC Academy Trust.

The Rural Enterprise Academy: joined Penk Valley Academy Trust in August 2019. It is currently consulting on lowering its admission age from 14 to 11 and closing its sixth form.